Prayer: Do Not Be Anxious About Anything...

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

Are you ever anxious about anything? Well, this verse tells us to be anxious about nothing! How do we do this? The verse goes on to say that through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God. And then the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.

What this verse is saying is so counter-intuitive to how we normally think. Go and ask God about everything going on my life? Not only that, but ask Him with thanksgiving? What does that mean? It means exactly what it says! Ask Him! In any and every situation that causes you anxiety, bring them to Him. Ask Him with a thankful heart because you can rest assured that He WILL work it all out for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28)! So go ahead and thank Him in advance for answering your prayers!

To calm our hearts and minds from all of the worries and troubles we face in this world, we need to bring these anxieities to the Lord and tell Him what is going on. We need to be honest with Him about how we are feeling and what desires we have in our hearts. You might be asking, "Doesn't God already know everything? Why do I need to tell Him?"

Of course, God does know everything that goes on in our lives. However, He wants us to humbly go before Him in a declaration of our utter dependence on Him. By asking our Heavenly Father, we acknowledge that He is in control of everything and we give Him the honor and glory due His Name. We place our faith and trust in Him knowing that He never fails nor lets us go.

As we do this, the assurance of His peace washes over us and guards our hearts and minds. What a neat promise!

Are you stressed out or anxious about anything? Go to the Lord and tell Him today! Thank Him that He is going to work it out for good and allow His peace to wash over you.

~ Written by an Honor Academy Core Adviser